Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-05-04
JUST LIKE ARGENTINA.

"IIeroines are always gliding and
hiding" Nelly Fairfield thought, lay.
ing down the three volumes of "a
Dead Mystery.'' She had read LADY
Dampstick's Doom," and '.Lurrid
Lightnings," and ''Green-Grey Eyes, .
and The One-Legged Witch" three
volumes each, OF the most blood-curd-
ling description that the village library
could supply.
Nelly'S taste in romance WAS not Of
tie highest. She liked to have her
blood curdled. And as the four weeks
of her country visit had been necessarily
wet she had trotted her young friend
and hostess, Mary Marsh, ID the pony
trap every second day to the village
library in search of the weird and mys-
terious. At the end of her months
visit to Darkleigh Court. Nelly's fair
and curly little head was bewildered by
three puZZling diScoyerieS-that Hubert
Marsh, Mary's obliging brother, and
the heir of this grand old place, was
desperately in love with her insigniii-
cant little self; that the country was
compound Of gray sky, rain, and mud,
whatever the poets said to the contrary;
and that herolneS- especially Argentina,
the last heroine-could cry without
spelling her violet eyes and their pretty
little noses, and that they had habit of
gliding and hiding. Argentina often
did: and Nelly was beginning to feel
just like Argentina since the heir of
Darkleigh Court had begun to do her
chivalrous service from morning till
night TO win a word or smile.
''Hubert is like Lord Lockwood in
"a Dead Mystery" she told Mary
Marsh, as they went down arm-in-arm,
ready to, see a new guest at dinner-a
great event in weather-bound country
house.
''He has black hair and eyebrows, and
there the likeness ends" said demure
Miss Mary, with a smile. 1--WE don't
want Hubert to be a forger, or high
wayman, or a corSair, or whatever 1t
was-not like Lord LOckwood-thank
youl''
'But | do like a man to have some
thing Notwithstanding grand-as
if he were able to-
ssTo slay somebody hinted Mary.
That would be romantic and out of
the common"
sOh, no. said Nelly helplessly; ''but
I can't explain. Hubert looks adven-
turous. lie might have been courtier
in the old times, and helped in secret
councils, and"
Planned the smothering of princes,
and all that" laughed Mary. Poor
Hubert! did not know what bad
opinion you had of him, Nelly"
Nelly drew away her arm, and tried
desperately to explain, but they had
reached the last step of the stairs, and
the new guest was taking off his coat in
the hall
He was a big-eyed, big-mustached,
burly man, with a sort of cOusinly like
hess to bulldog. He was afterwards
introduced as ''Our friend Gobblecock,
who has come from London to spend a
day or two with Hubert"
There was also at dinner that day, a
neighbor of Darkleigh Court-a hand
some young fellow, Sir Harry Give
who took the world easily. His chief
pastime was twirling the ends of his
mustache, and his only troubles in life
were laying foundation-stOnes and
gracing the platform at public meet
ingS. His occupations ranged from
lawn-tennis in summer to Sleighing in
winter, and driving fOur-in-hand. He
called Miss Marsh MARY" and she
called him Harry they had known
each other since he painted new COM
plexions on her dolls in his Eton holi-
49, o,5 c;nao bar bol,t- bondc c,itobo1
the calico that sailed his ship. Now,
when boys and girls begin as playmates,
they often only end as friends; new
faces and nex ways have some day
mysterious attraction that the too well
known face had not. Sir Harry Give
stood by the window that night, curling
his mustache on his finger, and enjoy
ing Nelly's chatter with little Robin
Marsh, on her theory of Bluebeard
having possibly been the wicked un-
cle'' mentioned in the ''Babes in the
Wood"
"He couldn't have been their uncle
said the small boy, because there were
never any babes in reality; and it's all
story"
"Oh, yes, there were babes-there
were; It's positive tact" SAID Nelly,
truly enough. The little boy looked
bewildered, and Sir Harry burst into
laugh, and watched the pretty girl as
steadily as little Robin did.
Hubert Marsh disappeared from the
group at the window. He was after
ward seen in the garden, kicking the
gravel and smoking cigar. Poor fel-
lowi There are big boys that sulk in
this upside-down world of ours.
''You darling little mitel You don't
believe in Bluebeard, either. Wait till
you meet him some dayi" said Mary
demure and diligent, looking round
from her lace-work.
Master Robin looked straight across
the room at big Mr.. Gobblecock. 1t
was look of inquiry; he had his
doubts
Luckily the friend from London was
not turned that way. He had made a
thousand apologies, saying he would not
ask favor except in an old friends
house, and they had all clamored excuse
and assent; and he had begged for a lit
tie table to himself in an out-of-the-way